Pipe repair sleeve



May 19, 1953 E. L. CONDRA 2,638,987

PIPE REPAIR sLEEvE Filed Aug. s, 195o Patented May 19, 1953 UNITED `stares Param' loerica PIEfREPAIR-SLEVE ElmoLL-a. Condra, Long Beach, hppiicationaugusi 3, 1950, sef'iai No. 177,415

This invention relates te la pipe repair sleeve whereby an annularpacking :may be set within .a pipe and ion .each :side 'or :a hole or crack in the pipe.

An object of my invention is to provide a 'novel pipe repair sleeve which may berun 4into a deep well, 'such as 'an oil well, and, after the sleeve is in position each packing may be set suocessively, thus packing Voil on both sides of a possible `hole or Ycrack in the pipe.

Still another object ci my invention is to provide a pipe repair sleeve 4of the character stated, in which the operating mandrel Ican be removed leaving a tubular sleeve or pipe section in the well.

Still another object of my invention is to pro- 'vide a novel pipe `repair sleeve in 4vs/nich the spaced annular packings can be set for expanded by rotation of the operating mandrel in the tool.

A .feature of my invention resides in the means whereby the operating mandrel `can vbre shifted longitudinally to 'cause rst one annular packing and then the other to `be compressed or expanded, this compression or expansion occuring by reason of rotation of the operating mandrel.

Other objects, advantages and features may appear .from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description Aand the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my pipe repair sleeve with parts `broken away to show interior construction, and showing one annular packing expanded.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing both of the annular packings expanded.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line '3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line L4 of Figure l2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I indicates the pipe, such as casing in a well, and this casing has a hole or crack 2 therein, and this hole is at a considerable distance below the surface of the ground.

My pipe repair sleeve consists of an outer tubular assembly 3, which formed of the following parts:

A bottom shoe 4 has a plurality of spring iin-` gers 5 attached to the lower end thereof and expandable outwardly to engage the pipe I. The spring lingers hold the shoe 4 against rotation in the pipe I when thetool is being set, as will be subsequently described. A collar 6 is secured to the lower end of the pipe 'I and is internally threaded, as shown at 8, to receive the threads B ion Tthe 'flipper Tof the 'sho i. -An -iilniil packing in is mounted on the shoe l adiacenti its upperend, and this rests on :a shoulder @Il on theshoe.. A ring l2 'is positionedba tween the =collar 6 and the top *of the'packmg l0, so that when the 'collar `5 'threads Ikduwmv-ardiy `.on the threads 9, the ring AI2 will "engage the tcp of the packing 10,. compressing and 'expanding this against the pipe Il vn second I'collar i3 screws on to the upper end `Lof the pipe l and also on to the :lowerfenfd ef 'a sleeve H. n second annular packing 5I5 surrounds the .sleeve il and rests'fo'n a bottom shoul der #Si The sleeve Il threads into the lower end of a top sub I'I, and a ring i8 is positioned between thebottom oi the sub H `and the top of the packing I5@ Thus, when the sleeve I4 threads upwardly into the Lsub IFI., the `ring I8 will press against the top `ci the packing l5, thus compressing 'and expanding this ,packing again the pipe I AJ slot i9 is cut in the sub 11 and receives v"a drive pin 2G protruding 'from the mandrel 21. This .mandrel depends from the drill ,pipe 22, which is run into the VI from the surface. A key 23 is mounted inthe 'side of the mandrel `2| and is pressed outwardly by the `springs 2'4. -n one position `of the mandrel 21 this key enters a notch 25 in the col-lar lf3., thus comi'ectingthe mandrel and causing these parts to .rotate when the drill pipe 22 isrotated. When the mandrel 2| is pushed downwardly, as shown in rigore 2, the key 23 will be pressed inwardly and will :nove out of the notch 25 'and thereafter the'ooilar I 3 and attached do .not rotate with the mandrol 2|.

1n operation, the parts arey first assembled sub'- stantially as shown in Figure .1, except that the packing W is 'not erzpai'id'ed,l that is, the en-tire tubular assembly -3 hangs from the pin 2h, which 1 is positioned in the J slot i9, as 'shown in 1. The tool is now lowered into the pipe I to a point where the packing I 0 will be below the hole 2 and the packing I5 will be above this hole. The depth of the hole 2 is obtained with a well known type of tool, such as a ilud pressure tool shown in Patent No. 2,344,120. The spring fingers 5 are now holding the shoe 4 against rotationand by rotating the drill pipe 22 this torque will be imparted to the sub Il through the pin 20, and also the key 23 which rests in its notch or groove 25. Thus, the collar 6 will screw downwardly on the threads 9 to force the ring I2 against the top of the packing I0 and expand this packing against the pipe I. The lower packing is now set.

By lowering the drill pipe 22, the key 23 will move out of its slot 25 to the position shown in Figure 2. Also, the pin 20 will now engage the lower part of the J slot I9 and, therefore, rotation of the drill pipe 22 will only rotate the sub I'I. The balance of the tubular portion of the sleeve will remain stationary. Rotation of the sub I'I will screw this sub downwardly on to the threads of the sleeve I4, thus compressing the packing I against the -pipefl I .and thereby vsealing off 1 both above and "below" the hole 2. The drill pipe 22 and its attached mandrel 2| can now be pulled upwardly to the surface, since the pin 20 can be pulled out of the open end of the J slot I9, This leaves a tubular structure in the well through which bits, drill pipe, etc., can pass. and also the hole 2 has been effectively stopped off by the packing I il and I5.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A pipe repair sleeve, a drill pipe on which said sleeve is mounted, said pipe being movable into -a`well, the sleeve consisting of an outer tubular assembly comprising a sub, a center section, and a shoe, said sub being threaded'into the top of the center-section, and said shoe being threaded into the bottomof the center section, a packer `mounted on the sub, a second packer mounted on' the;.shoe,v eachv of said packers being compressed against the center section on rotation of `the repair sleeve, spring lingers on the shoe engaging the pipe, a drive mandrel mounted on the vdrill pipe yand extending into said tubular assembly, and spring detent means engaging said center section whereby the tubular assembly is rotated with said mandrel.

2. A pipe repair sleeve, a drill pipe on which -s'aidsleeveis mounted, said pipe being movable vinto a well, the sleeve consisting of an outer tubular assembly comprisinga sub, a central section,

and a shoe, said sub being threaded into the top vthe shoe, each osaid packers being compressed against the center section on rotation of the relpair sleeve, spring iingers on the shoe -engaging the pipe, a drive mandrel mounted on the drill pipe and extendingv into said tubular assembly, a key mounted on the side of the mandrel, springs pressing said key outwardly,said center section having a recess therein to receive said key, said key being vmovable into and out of said recess `on longitudinal movement of themandrel relative to the tubular assembly. y

3. A pipe repair sleeve, a drill pipe .on which said sleeve is mounted, said pipe being movable Yinto a Well, the sleeve consisting of an outer tubular assembly comprising a sub, a central section, anda shoe-said sub being threaded into the top of the center section, and said shoe being threaded into the bottom of the center section, a packer 4 mounted on the sub, a second packer mounted on the shoe, each of said packers being compressed against the center section on rotation of the repair sleeve, spring iingers on the shoe engaging the pipe, a drive mandrel mounted on the drill pipe and extending into said tubular assembly, a key mounted on the side of the mandrel, springs pressing said key outwardly, said center section havingga recess'. therein to 'receive said key, said key being movable into and out of said recess on longitudinal movement of the mandrel 'relative to the tubular assembly, said sub having a.J lslot therein and a pin extending from the mandrel into said J slot.

' 4. A pipe repair sleeve and a drill pipe on which said sleeve is mounted, said drill pipe being movable into a well, the sleeve consisting of an outer tubular-assembly comprising a top sub, a center tubular section, and a bottom shoe, said sub being threaded onto the top of the center section,

-said shoe beingthread'ed ontov the bottom of the ycenter section, a packer mounted on the sub and positioned between said sub and the top ofthe lcenter section, -a second packer mounted on the shoe and positioned between the shoe and the bottom of the center section, spring lingers on the outside of the shoe,a mandrel mounted on the drill pipe and projecting into the tubular assembly, a spring detent on the mandrel engaging the said center section of the tubular assembly to rotate the same, and inter-connecting drive means projecting from the mandrel and engaging said sub.

5. A pipe repair sleeve and a drill pipe on which said sleeve is mounted, said drill pipe being movable into a well, the sleeve consisting of an outer tubular assembly -comprising a top sub, -a center tubular section, and a, bottom shoe, said sub being threaded onto the top of the center section, said shoe being threaded onto the bottom of the center section, a packer mounted on the sub and .positioned vbetween said sub and the top of the center section, a second packer mounted on the shoe and positionedbetween the shoe and the bottom of the center section, spring ngers on the outside of the shoe, a mandrelon the drill pipe and' projecting into the tubular assembly, a spring detent mounted on the side of said mandrel, said center section of the tubular assembly having a recess therein to receive said detent, said sub having a J slot therein and a pin projecting from said mandrel into the J slot.

ELMO L. CON DRA.

References cited in the meer this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Mack Dec. 4, 1917 

